posted Dec 11th, 2008 - Team building and recruiting efforts and activities are not only happening in California, as the NSL News reported the Perris Fury "slot shopping camp" with the story on 8 December 2008. A recent newsletter of the Mideast Skydiving League host StartSkydiving.com explained how Team Fastrax offers help in this area for teams, competitors and all skydivers.

In fact, Mideast Skydiving League Director Mike Ashley and StartSkydiving.com owner John Hart launched their winter campaign already as soon as the 2008 competition season came to its end. The newsletter explained to the Mideast Skydiving League community and other interested skydivers what the league and the host plans for the winter season.

Team Fastrax founder John Hart and the team's Point, Niklas Hemlin, support MESL Director Mike Ashley with ideas and logistics for winter projects that help to keep the 4-way community connected and the skills and knowledge up-to-date. Goal is to use the winter season as efficiently as possible to prepare teams and competitors for the 2009 season and also build new lineups.

The 2008 season was a great year for StartSkydiving, as John Hart recently reported a significant increase of the relevant numbers compared to the 2007 season. He is excited to see how his efforts have worked out so far and hopes that the whole Mideast area will be "re-energized" even more in the future.

John Hart and Niklas Hemlin have been training and competing together ever since Team Fastrax was founded in 2003. Several different lineups over the years finally brought Fastrax to a world-class position with John Hart (Tail), Thomas Hughes (Center Inside), Doug Park (Center Outside) and Niklas Hemlin (Point). Steve Redinbo was filming the team, while Fastrax was challenging Airspeed Odyssey for the top spot in the USA throughout the whole 2007 season.

This lineup disbanded at the end of the 2007 season. Thomas Hughes and Doug Park continued with the US 8-way team in 2008, while John Hart and Niklas Hemlin focused on their business at StartSkydiving. Both competed at three MESL meets with a new linep of Wait & See where they were involved as player coaches.

MESL Director Mike Ashley now announced that Niklas Hemlin will be available for the winter campaign at StartSkydiving:

"Greetings Four-Way Junkies. Seminars, Seminars, Seminars! There will be seminars held at Start Skydiving throughout the winter by Niklas Hemlin on topics such as Basic Flying Skills (Mantis), Big Way Formations, and 4-way. These seminars are to be held one Saturday per month Dec. through April. The goal is to expand and increase the overall knowledge for skydivers and instructors. You can attend either on an individual basis or as a 4-way team. These events are also meant for people to meet and network for team possibilities. Contact Niklas at niklas@startskydiving.com to register."

The next seminars are scheduled for January 10, February 7, a weekend day in March and April 4. John Hart and Niklas Hemlin will also help at the scheduled Fastrax tunnel camps in Raeford, which serve as another tool to keep the MESL community actively involved throughout the winter season. The main focus will be to facilitate individual flying skills and 4-way skills. Niklas Hemlin and John Hart will be available on a limited basis for 2-on-2 sessions.

Mike Ashley said that "this is an incredible opportunity to get personalized coaching from some of the best skydivers in the world - as well as a much-needed chance to keep up your currency in the off-season."

He will answer questions and provide additional information of the MESL winter activities by e-mail. The tunnel camps are scheduled for December 13 - 14, January 17 - 19, February 14 - 16 and one more camp in March.

Mike Ashley has a special treat for his MESL community in the works, as well. The newsletter mentioned that he "has has been sequestered away, pouring his heart and soul into creating a brilliant and moving year-end video". The movie is near completion, even though he may be open to last-minute submissions for special footage.

John Hart finished the update with a preview of the upcoming season at StartSkydiving. Construction of the new gear store, the new area for video editing, tandem waiver, and registration is almost complete. The next phase of the construction begins this month and will be the addition of second floor offices for AFF and team debriefing, as well as an up-jumper lounge and staff offices. The third phase of the construction, beginning in January, will be the completion of the lunch lounge in the T-hangar.

The completion will take place in the spring and involves a deck and double glass doors leading out on to the already constructed patio along the front of the hangar. A second T-hangar for packing, next to the first one, has already beed added and will be available in the spring. Wireless internet access will be available everywhere in 2009, and Direct TV is being installed in the lounge areas. Sounds like StartSkydiving will be a good place for the MESL meets in 2009 - and to stay connected to the NSL website...